Heterogeneous Structure Regulated by Selection Pressure on Bacterial Adhesion Optimized the Viability Stratification Structure of Electroactive Biofilms

The substrate configuration influences pollutant removal in constructed wetlands: From the aspects of submerged status of substrate and carbon-felt distribution

Redox regulation dominates the pollutant removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). To enhance efficient and cost-effective nitrogen removal, this study intended to build an unsaturated zone and add carbon-felt material for electron donor/acceptor adjustment. The unsaturated zone heights (0, 10, 20 cm) and carbon-felt distribution patterns (evenly scattered (CWSE), continuously linked (CWL), and head-tail linked like microbial fuel cells (CWMFC)) were simultaneously adjusted. Moreover, their effects and underlying microbial mechanisms on water purification were investigated. Results indicated that CWs with a 20 cm unsaturated zone achieved over 99 % ammonia nitrogen removal. CWSE facilitated optimal pollutant-microbe contact, enabling efficient in-situ electron utilization for 64.27 % total nitrogen removal through simultaneous nitrification-denitrification and anammox. In CWL, continuous carbon-felt distribution allowed efficient electron transport at a relatively macro-area and enhanced electron consumption by oxygen at the surface, leading to superior ammonia oxidation (82.97 %) in the middle area of CWL. Conversely, CWMFC facilitated direct electron transfer through the whole CW, enriched Geobacter at the top and Vibrio at the bottom, achieving 84.23 % total nitrogen removal through nitrification-denitrification under high oxygenation. This study elucidated microbial community niche differentiation in CWs mediated by carbon-felt electron transport and proposed optimal application scenarios for different carbon-felt configurations.

Multi-dimensional perspectives into the pervasive role of microbial extracellular polymeric substances in electron transport processes

During the process of biological treatment, most microorganisms are encapsulated in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which protect the cell from adverse environments and aid in microbial attachment. Microorganisms utilize extracellular electron transfer (EET) for energy and information interchange with other cells and the outside environment. Understanding the role of steric EPS in EET is critical for studying microbiology and utilizing microorganisms in biogeochemical processes, pollutant transformation, and bioenergy generation. However, the current study shows that understanding the roles of EPS in the EET processes still needs a great deal of research. In view of recent research, this work aims to systematically summarize the production and functional group composition of microbial EPS. Additionally, EET pathways and the role of EPS in EET processes are detailed. Then factors impacting EET processes in EPS are then discussed, with a focus on the spatial structure and composition of EPS, conductive materials and environmental pollution, including antibiotics, pH and minerals. Finally, strategies to enhance EET, as well as current challenges and future prospects are outlined in detail. This review offers novel insights into the roles of EPS in biological electron transport and the application of microorganisms in pollutant transformation.

Elucidating the impacts of cobalt (II) ions on extracellular electron transfer and pollutant degradation by anodic biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems during industrial wastewater treatment

Electrogenic biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are critical in wastewater treatment. Industrial effluents often contain cobalt (Co2+); however, its impact on biofilms is unknown. This study investigated how increasing Co2+ concentrations (0-30 mg/L) affect BES biofilm community dynamics, extracellular polymeric substances, microbial metabolism, electron transfer gene expression, and electrochemical performance. The research revealed that as Co2+ concentrations increased, power generation progressively declined, from 345.43 ± 4.07 mW/m2 at 0 mg/L to 160.51 ± 0.86 mW/m2 at 30 mg/L Co2+. However, 5 mg/L Co2+ had less effect. The Co2+ removal efficiency in the reactors fed with 5 and 10 mg/L concentrations exceeded 99% and 94%, respectively. However, at 20 and 30 mg/L, the removal efficiency decreased substantially, likely because of reduced biofilm viability. FTIR indicated the participation of biofilm functional groups in Co2+ uptake. XPS revealed Co2+ presence in biofilms as CoO and Co(OH)2, indicating precipitation also aided removal. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests revealed that 5 mg/L Co2+ had little impact on the electrocatalytic activity, while higher concentrations impaired it. Furthermore, at a concentration of 5 mg/L Co2+, there was an increase in the proportion of the genus Anaeromusa-Anaeroarcus, while the genus Geobacter declined at all tested Co2+ concentrations. Additionally, higher concentrations of Co2+ suppressed the expression of extracellular electron transfer genes but increased the expression of Co2+-resistance genes. Overall, this study establishes how Co2+ impacts electrogenic biofilm composition, function, and treatment efficacy, laying the groundwork for the optimized application of BES in remediating Co2+-contaminated wastewater.

The role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in chemical-degradation of persistent organic pollutants in soil: A review

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soil show high environmental risk due to their high toxicity and low biodegradability. Studies have demonstrated the degradation function of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on POPs in various matrices. However, the degradation mechanisms and the factors that influence the process in soil have not been clearly illustrated. In this review, the characteristics of EPS were introduced and the possible mechanisms of EPS on degradation of organic pollutants (e.g., external electron transfer, photodegradation, and enzyme catalysis) were comprehensively discussed. In addition, the environmental conditions (e.g., UV, nutrients, and redox potential) that could influence the production and degradation-related active components of EPS were addressed. Moreover, the current approaches on the application of EPS in biotechnology were summarized. Further, the future perspectives of enhancement on degradation of POPs by regulating EPS were discussed. Overall, this review could provide a new thought on remediation of POPs by widely-existing EPS in soil with low-cost and minimized eco-disturbance.

Electrodeposited copper enhanced removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol in batch and flow reaction in Cu@CC-PS-MFC system

Combination of microbial fuel cell (MFC) and advanced oxidation process (AOP) is promising for pollutant removal. In this paper, Cu0-loaded carbon cloth cathode by electrodeposition (Cu@CC-PS-MFC) was applied to enhance 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation based on persulfate (PS) activation in microbial fuel cell. Cu0 exhibited a typical structure of face-centered cubic metal polyhedron on carbon cloth. The removal of 2,4-DCP by Cu@CC-PS-MFC (75.6%) was enhanced by more than 50% compared to CC-PS-MFC (49.2%) after 1 h of reaction. 30 mg/L 2,4-DCP in Cu@CC-PS-MFC was completely removed and achieved a high mineralization (80.6%) after 9 h of reaction under optimized condition with low dissolved copper ion concentration (0.615 mg/L). Meanwhile, more than 90% removal of 2,4-DCP was stably achieved with flow operation condition (hydraulic residence time of 7.2 h). The change of copper valent state Cu0/Cu2O/CuO was the main mechanism of PS activation with main reactive species of O•H and O21. The bioanode of MFC enhanced the in-situ regeneration of ≡Cu+ and ≡Cu0 on the catalyst surface by transporting electrons, which was believed to contribute to good catalyst lifetime and excellent 2,4-DCP removal. Electrodeposited copper contributes to the enhanced degradation of 2,4-DCP with energy recovery at the same time which can further broaden the application MFC.

Mechanistic insights into the response of electroactive biofilms to Cd2+ shock: bacterial viability and electron transfer behavior at the cellular and community levels

Electroactive biofilms (EABs) play a crucial role in environmental bioremediation due to their excellent extracellular electron transfer (EET) capabilities. However, Cd2+ can have toxic effects on the electrochemical performance of EABs, and the comprehensive inhibition mechanism of EABs in response to Cd2+ shock remains elusive. This study indicated that Cd2+ shock significantly reduced biomass and increased oxidative stress in EABs at the cellular level. The bacterial viability of EABs in phase III under 0.5 mM Cd2+ shock (EABCd2+-III0.5) decreased by 16.31% compared to EABCK-III. Moreover, intracellular NADH, c-Cyts, and the abundance of electroactive species were essential indicators to evaluate EET behavior of EABs. In EABCd2+-III0.5, these indicators decreased by 26.32%, 33.40%, and 20.65%, respectively. Structural equation modeling analysis established quantitative correlations between core components and electrochemical activity at cellular and community levels. The correlation analysis revealed that the growth and electron transfer functions of EABs were predictive indicators for their electrochemical performance, with standardized path coefficients of 0.407 and 0.358, respectively. These findings enhance our understanding of EABs' response to Cd2+ shock and provide insights for improving their performance in heavy metal wastewater.

Microbe-Anode Interactions: Comparing the impact of genetic and material engineering approaches to improve the performance of microbial electrochemical systems (MES)

Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) are a highly versatile platform technology with a particular focus on power or energy production. Often, they are used in combination with substrate conversion (e.g., wastewater treatment) and production of value-added compounds via electrode-assisted fermentation. This rapidly evolving field has seen great improvements both technically and biologically, but this interdisciplinarity sometimes hampers overseeing strategies to increase process efficiency. In this review, we first briefly summarize the terminology of the technology and outline the biological background that is essential for understanding and thus improving MES technology. Thereafter, recent research on improvements at the biofilm-electrode interface will be summarized and discussed, distinguishing between biotic and abiotic approaches. The two approaches are then compared, and resulting future directions are discussed. This mini-review therefore provides basic knowledge of MES technology and the underlying microbiology in general and reviews recent improvements at the bacteria-electrode interface.

Insights into rhamnolipid amendment towards enhancing microbial electrochemical treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil

Environmental pollution by hydrophobic hydrocarbons is increasing, notably nowadays due to a large amount of industrial activity. Microbial electrochemical technologies (MET) are promising bio-based systems which can oxidize hydrophobic hydrocarbon pollutants and produce bioelectricity simultaneously. However, MET faces some issues in terms of soil remediation, including low mass transfer, limited electro-activity of anodes as electron acceptors, low bioavailability of hydrocarbons, and the limited activity of beneficial bacteria and inefficient electron transport. This study aims to investigate the role of the addition of rhamnolipid as an analyte solution to the MET to enhance the efficacy and concurrently solve the abovementioned issues. In this regard, a novel long chain of RL was produced by using low-cost carbon winery waste through non-pathogenic Burkholderia thailandensis E264 strains. Different doses of RL were tested, including 10, 50, and 100 mg/L. A maximum enhancement in the oxidation of hydrophobic hydrocarbons was found to be up to 72.5%, while the current density reached 9.5 Am-2 for the MET reactor having a dose of 100 mg/L. The biosurfactants induced a unique microbial enrichment associated with Geobacter, Desulfovibrio, Klebsiella, and Comamona on the anode surface, as well as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Franconibacter in soil MET, indicating the occurrence of a metabolic pathway in microbes working with the anode and soil bioelectrochemical remediation system. According to cyclic voltammetry analysis, redox peaks appeared, showing a minor shift in redox MET-biosurfactant compared to the bare MET system. Furthermore, the phytotoxicity of polluted soil to L. sativum seeds after and before MET remediation shows a decrease in phytotoxicity of 77.5% and 5% for MET-biosurfactant system and MET only, respectively. With MET as a tool, this study confirmed for the first time that novel long-chain RL produced from non-Pseudomonas bacteria could remarkably facilitate the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon via extracellular electron transfer, which provides novel insights to understand the mechanisms of RL regulating petroleum hydrocarbon degradation.

3D Hierarchical Co8FeS8-FeCo2O4/N-CNTs@CF with an Enhanced Microorganisms-Anode Interface for Improving Microbial Fuel Cell Performance

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are promising ecofriendly techniques for harvesting bioenergy from organic and inorganic matter. Currently, it is challenging to design MFC anodes with favorable microorganism attachment and fast extracellular electron transfer (EET) rate for high MFC performance. Here we prepared N-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) on carbon felt (CF) and used it as a support for growing hierarchical Co₈FeS₈-FeCo₂O₄/NCNTs core-shell nanostructures (FeCo/NCNTs@CF). We observed improved wettability, specific areal capacitance, and diffusion coefficient, as well as small charge transfer resistance compared with bare CF. MFCs equipped with FeCo/NCNTs@CF displayed a power density of 3.04 W/m² and COD removal amount of 221.0 mg/L/d, about 47.6 and 290.1% improvements compared with that of CF. Biofilm morphology and 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis proved that our anode facilitated the enrichment growth of exoelectrogens. Flavin secretion was also promoted on our hierarchical elelctrode, effectively driving the EET process. This work disclosed that hierarchical nanomaterials modified electrode with tailored physicochemical properties is a promising platform to simultaneously enhance exoelectrogen attachment and EET efficiency for MFCs.